# Heat loss

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-loss/198658>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 30, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-loss/198658 "2003-08-30T17:05:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mr\_Urt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@Mr\_Urt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Urt)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-loss/198658/1 "2003-08-30T17:05:15Z")

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Do any of you know, or know of a place where I can learn how to figure out the heat loss of residential construction¿ And don’t say “engineer” or point me towards a program for the pc.

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**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-loss/198658/2 "2003-08-30T17:11:39Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Mr Urt \*  
> \*\*Do any of you know, or know of a place where I can learn how to figure out the heat loss of residential construction¿ And don’t say “engineer” or point me towards a program for the pc. \*\*

Any building contractor’s handbook will do the trick. Your local library might have one.

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**Author:** ![tranetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71c47a/32.png) [@tranetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tranetech)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-loss/198658/3 "2003-08-30T21:17:56Z")

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[http://www.hvaccomputer.com/main.asp](http://www.hvaccomputer.com/main.asp)

Try this…

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-loss/198658/4 "2003-08-31T00:13:18Z")

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I think you’re looking for heat transfer data across various building materials. One really good source is ASHRAE’s Fundamentals HVAC Handbook. (The title may just be “Fundamentals” as this is the first - and most general - of four volumes published by ASHRAE.) Check a college library. You might wish to visit [www.ASHRAE.org](http://www.ASHRAE.org) for the exact title.

- Jinx